“For those who
think that cap-and-trade is dead, take another look,” said Peter Glaser at the
Mackinac Center’s Issues & Ideas forum on Jan. 20. Glaser, an attorney
specializing in energy and environmental law, spoke to 95 attendees about the
destructive regulations proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

According to Glaser,
the Obama administration is trying to force the United States off fossil fuels,
which are the cheapest forms of energy. “There is a reason we use fossil fuels
in the United States: It lowers costs,” Glaser said. Restricting cheap sources
of energy would have devastating effects on industry and daily life, with
little environmental benefit.

While recent
cap-and-trade legislation failed, the Obama administration is now using the EPA
to bypass Congress and enact similar regulations, Glaser said.

Glaser received a J.D.
from George Washington University and specializes in environmental regulation
and litigation, focusing on air quality and global climate change. He has taken
part in numerous EPA rulemakings and judicial appeals. Glaser has testified on
climate change issues before Congress and is an expert on greenhouse gas
regulatory matters.

As a result of Glaser’s
testimony, state Sen. Tom Casperson, one of five legislators who attended the
I&I, introduced a state resolution calling on Congress to adopt legislation
to prohibit the EPA from unilaterally regulating greenhouse gas emissions.
Casperson, chairman of the Senate Natural Resources Committee, invited Glaser
to testify before the committee on Feb. 19. Remarks were followed by a lengthy
question and answer session. The resolution passed, along with a similar
resolution in the House.

The event was simulcast
online, allowing 134 people to view it live, and 172 to view it since. Watch
the video at www.mackinac.org/14379.